nd women
should not pass things to one another,--for fear their hands might
touch. A local Pharisee tried to entangle the great Mencius in his
speech, asking him if a man who saw his sister-in-law drowning might
venture to pull her out. "A man," replied the philosopher, "who failed
to do so, would be no better than a wolf."

The Chinese lady may go out to pay calls, and even visit temples for
religious purposes, unveiled, veils for women having been abolished in
the first years of the seventh century of our era. Only brides wear them
now.

Girls are finally separated from boys at seven or eight years of age,
when the latter go to school.

Some say that Chinese girls receive no education. If so, what is the
explanation of the large educational literature provided expressly for
girls?

One Chinese authoress, who wrote a work on the education of women,
complains that women can never expect more than ten years for their
education, _i.e._ the years between childhood and marriage.

The fact is that among the literary classes girls often receive a fair
education, as witness the mass of poetry published by Chinese women. One
of the Dynastic Histories was partly written by a woman. Her brother,
who was engaged on it, died, and she completed his work.

About the year 235 A.D., women were actually admitted to official life,
and some of them rose to important government posts. By the eighth
century, however, all trace of this system had disappeared.

The women of the poorer classes are not educated at all; nor indeed are
the men. Both sexes have to work as burden-carriers and field labourers;
and of course in such cases the restrictions mentioned above cannot be
rigorously enforced.

Women of the shopkeeper class often display great aptitude for business,
and render invaluable assistance to their husbands. As in France, they
usually keep the cash-box.

A mandarin's seal of office is his most important possession. If he
loses it, he may lose his post. Without the seal, nothing can be done;
with it, everything. Extraordinary precautions are taken when
transmitting new seals from Peking to the provinces. Every official seal
is made with four small feet projecting from the four corners of its
face, making it look like a small table. Of these, the maker breaks off
one when he hands the seal over to the Board. Before forwarding to the
Viceroy of the province, another foot is removed by the Board. A third
is similarly disposed